
The meeting of the waters on the Amazon, as seen from the plane

Amazing Amazon

So, if I lacked for rain in the Pantanal, the Amazon surely made up for it. Manaus is probably the rainiest city I have ever been (and I lived in Seattle for 3 years). Well, it is in the middle of the Amazon, which is a rainforest, afterall. And if nothing else, you can be sure of rain. Lots of rain.

Our first outing by small boat expedition began with blue skies and warm temperatures. Forget about jackets and raingear, "it's gonna be gorgeous" was the attitude everyone had as we left the Iberostar.


The first 40 minutes were, then suddenly, out of nowhere, a massive tropical downpour. Rain so thick and dense it made for white out conditions! And there we were on an open-air excursion boat, no roof, no cover, nothing to protect us from the elements. It was a first for me to experience getting completely drenched - socks, knickers and all!
Fortunately, I always carry a drysack for my camera and lens - a lesson I learned in the 90's when I forded a river in Guatemala, and ended up treading across neck-deep with one arm while the other held my camera over my head. I've only used the drysack once since, in Costa Rica, but I always carry it, several in fact, when I am cruising. It's the most valuable accessory in my photography travel bag by far.
But you know what? Rain in the rainforest is good. It just feels so good, so pure, so real. Better than a hot shower after a cold surf...and that's heavenly. So as long as I have my drysack with me, let it rain all it wants. Bring it on! There were certainly enough breaks in the clouds to pull the camera out and spot a few animals - here are some of the more exciting sightings:
Three-toed Sloth

Boto - Pink Amazon River Dolphin

Green Iguana

Squirrel Monkeys

Caiman (immature)

...and another Three-toed Sloth

This is not a showcase of amazing wildlife stock photography - consider this a very realistic Amazon wildlife portfolio for 3 days from a boat. If you go to experience a cruise on the Amazon, then you'll love it - you'll return home with lots of pictures of trees which you'll share with friends explaining "there's a bird or monkey there somewhere", and the joy is in the story told. But if your intention is to get decent wildlife pictures, then head to the Pantanal, where you'll find the same animals in more open areas and easier to see close up without neck strain. My advice? If you're in Brazil, or planning to go, do BOTH.
The great thing about cruising the Iberostar Grand Amazon is that you always have a plenty of food to come back to. And it's easier to photograph, too.


And now, a tribute to the Iberostar staff, particularly the bartender, and those fun-lovin Brazilian aunties of mine!
No comments:
Post a Comment